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Specialied Foster Care

As a professional trained in working with children with special needs, you possess an exceptional gift.  You have the chance to share your job skills in a heart-touching way as a specialized foster care resource parent, a chance to bring potential to life for a child with special needs seeking foster care.

The goal of Rainbows United, Inc. Foster Care Program is to support the development of the child whose disabilities temporarily prevent him or her from living with his/her birth family.

Inspirational Family

The Shaffer Family
There are a thousand examples of this family's love for each other and for their children, no matter who their parent's might be. Denise and Jesse go above and beyond what is expected and encourage each child to meet their fullest potential despite the barriers created by their special needs. The Shaffer’s are a family who are making a difference in the lives of children and the community in which they live.

Resource Family Support

Rainbows United supports its specialized foster care resource families in their journey by:

  • Recruiting, training and supervising foster homes for children with special needs.
  • Providing specialists with knowledge of the services, technology/equipment and funding available for children with special needs.
  • Being available 24 hours a day, seven days a week in case of emergencies.
  • Coordinating Targeted Case Management.
  • Offering five hours of respite care each month at no cost to the family.
  • Educating and supporting resource families with monthly meetings.
  • Arranging for adequate clothing, specialized equipment, and home furnishings to meet the child's needs.
Requirements

All families interested in fostering must meet the following requirements:

  • Be 21 years or older, single or married.
  • Be able to adequately support their own family financially.
  • Work as part of a team with socal workers and birth parents.
  • Complete the PS-MAPP class.
  • Pass background checks (Kansas Bureau of Investigation and Child Abuse/Neglect Registry).
  • Have experience working with foster children, persons with developmental disabilities or nursing.  Exceptions to these qualifications can be made if the Family Services Specialists believe that an individual understands the needs of the children served and is able to provide for those needs.